Just days before the horrific shooting at a school in Peshawar, Pakistan last December that killed at least 145 people (most of them children), two 40-foot ocean freight containers of medical supplies were delivered to Lady Reading Hospital. The hospital would soon become the site where most of the people injured were rushed to receive […]

October 9th 2014 is marked as World Sight Day, a day to focus international attention on blindness and vision impairment. On the occasion of World Sight Day, I’d like to share my story about sight. I will connect it to the eye-care situation in Pakistan and hope that it will inspire more interest and efforts […]

This comment summarizes the key findings of the captioned report. The full report can be accessed here. As a context it is important to recognize that Pakistan’s slow progress in achieving the Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5 is reflected in its high burden of maternal and child mortality, third highest on the international platform. The […]

The phenomenon of homelessness is one of the worst forms of urban poverty and social vulnerability. No one wants to be homeless by choice. Women constitute one of the groups worst affected by homelessness. While the phenomenon of homelessness violates the most basic of human rights for all populations, women without a home and living […]

The young male heart is under attack. Nadeem, a 37 year old heart aged faster than his real age. He had a very advanced heart disease that is typically founded in elderly patients. He was a heavy smoker, had worked hard on several jobs to support a family of 7, and was the sole bread […]

Javed is a 29 year old bread-earner from a small village near Toba Tek Singh. He got seriously injured in a road accident. The whole family got disturbed as all of them were entirely dependent on him. The victim as well as the family had to face untold hardships and miseries. The primary hardship was […]

Mitral valve replacement is a cardiac surgical procedure to either repair or replace the mitral valve in the heart. In the case of Tariq doctors opted for mitral valve replacement as repair of the mitral valve could not have been performed successfully in his case. Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) including heart disease are on the rise […]

As a result of a motorcycle accident at the age of 33, Zeeshan’s leg had to be amputated below the knee. He was treated for a month and a half but the injury was further complicated and the fear of gangrene loomed. The lower part of the leg was totally destroyed. The infection was so […]

A 30 year-old male patient was admitted to Lady Reading hospital in Peshawar with 2 months history of high fever, cough and shortness of breath and chest pain. He shared of anxieties of being sick for so long. Imtiaz spoke of ten or more episodes of fever and cough over more than two months, each […]

Eight year-old Ali Hassan was a victim of a hit-and-run accident. Coming from a dysfunctional family, he also suffered parental neglect following abandonment by his father, and family violence. His mother had sent him, along with his older sister, to work as domestic workers. His tasks included dish-washing and cleaning of the car. Their wages […]

The Heartfile Health forum features commentaries, resources and updates on Pakistan and global health and population-relevant development issues. The eForum is not just a virtual discussion portal for policy issues, but also an archive and a sounding board for issues to be identified, which Heartfile frames for deeper discussion through Webinars. It also showcases patients supported through the Heartfile Health Financing initiative.